Dara Gaines, PhD

She grew up down a red dirt road, dreaming of making a difference. Today, she’s the first to tell you that she’s as comfortable behind a podium as she is at a rodeo or a trail ride!

Dara’s rural upbringing and extensive academic training give her unique insights that boost her ability to connect with people from various social and cultural backgrounds.

Her life has twisted, turned, and bent around itself since she left that dirt road.

Dara graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2017 with a combined B.A. in Political Science and African & African American Studies. From there, she was accepted into Northwestern University’s Political Science Graduate program where she earned both a Master’s (‘19) and a Ph.D. (‘23).

While enrolled in college, Dara studied the origins and underpinnings of the significant disconnect between communities and the policymakers who serve them, always wondering, “if people don’t vote, who holds government officials accountable?”. Her research explores how rural African Americans experience political incorporation in the South and asks how access to economic, social, and political capital shapes their political perceptions.

She leverages her years in the academy and political field experience in her many roles including research manager, mobilization strategist, and business owner. A detail-oriented investigator, she excels at translating policy and empirics for general and specified audiences.

She's most interested in engaging, educating, and empowering voters through innovative integrated methods.

Dara's system works because she doesn't assume what people care about. Instead, she prioritizes listening, providing context, and empowering people where they are. This method builds stronger connections and makes lasting changes in perceptions of politics and personal power.

Each collaboration is an opportunity for DGC to learn and grow. Contact us today to discuss how we can work together.